It's just a mascot....right?

The Washington Redskins mascot has been the cause of many controversies.  The most notable was the 17 yearlong lawsuit with Native American plaintiffs in which the NFL team won. The mascot is said to be “racially offensive”.  The definition of Redskin is “used as a disparaging term for a Native American”. The U.S Patent and Trademark Office granted federal trademarks to the team in 1967 and was cancelled in 1999.

I believe the term is offensive and should be changed. There isn’t just one person that sees it as offensive, but an entire race of human beings that are reminded of painful issues when they see the logo and name.  Now as I understand it, the cancellation was overturned in 2003 stating, “ The youngest of the plaintiffs was only 1 year old and could not have taken legal action at the time”. (Native Legal Update)

It doesn’t matter how old a person was when a decision was made, if it is wrong, offensive, and racist it should be changed. I feel like the Washington Redskins won this battle because the majority of Americans does not know what its like to be discriminated against racially. I am not trying to begin a debate or accuse anyone of anything, but I don’t see a team with a derogatory name towards African Americans or Caucasians. No one is more important than the other.

I give the judicial system credit for trying this case as long as it did. On the side of the team, Native Americans are sometimes looked at as strong and tough. I’m sure they didn’t set out to upset the Native American community, but now that they have, it needs to be rectified.

This controversy has affected MANY people, Native American or not. We are all humans and deserve to be treated with respect. Yes, I understand that the Washington Redskins are not the only team with an offensive name or mascot. They ALL need to be rectified. No matter what name may come before American, WE ARE ALL AMERICAN at the end of the day. We need to come together and think about how we are hurting each other.

Maybe one day, we can erase all discrimination. Just because we aren’t calling someone a “Redskin” doesn’t mean we aren't insulting an entire race.

 Sources

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/redskin

http://abovethelaw.com/2009/11/the-washington-redskins-controversy-an-interview-with-amanda-blackhorse/

www.redskins.com